Letter: Death wishes

Sir: The anti-euthanasia lobby claims the right to overrule "living wills", private agreements by people they don't even know, on the fragile grounds that while near death the subjects may not be able to say that they have changed their minds.

But this interfering attitude flatly contradicts the proper and fully legal practice whereby with ordinary wills, nobody dare suggest that the deceased's wishes, expressed when "sound of mind", should not be carried out because he/she might have changed their mind but be unable to communicate such change.

The anti-euthanasia lobby therefore stands accused of gross double standards; unless, of course, they would be happy for their own "last will and testament" to be ignored on the ground that they might have changed their minds, but be unable to communicate that fact.

LEN CLARKE

Uxbridge,

Middlesex